Finance Minister Trevor Manuel ought to succeed President Thabo Mbeki but would not because he was ”not black enough”, says the leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance, Tony Leon. Leon says Manuel’s recent ”ill temper” was evidence of him having realised this.
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The SA Council of Churches (SACC) has cautioned civil society representatives observing Zimbabwe’s election not to compromise their impartiality by making premature judgements on the fairness of the poll. The remarks come in the wake of conflicting statements by prominent South Africans concerning the legitimacy of the upcoming poll.
Writing in his weekly letter on the African National Congress website, President Thabo Mbeki says all South Africans should be ambassadors and marketers of the country — should sell its qualities and possibilities and at the same time strive to build trust among citizens.
President Thabo Mbeki has invited Ivorian leaders and politicians to South Africa for more talks to try to bring peace to that country, a spokesperson said on Friday. Earlier Ivorian radio reported that the country’s president, Laurent Gbagbo, would meet Mbeki for talks ”at the end of the week”, Agence France Press said.
The Alpine ski industry is trying to counter the threat of global warming by building ever higher in the peaks and on the glaciers in order to secure snow guarantees and extend the skiing season. It is also resorting increasingly to the use of snow cannons and artificial snow on the pistes.
The Cats once again put in a superb effort, but a litany of errors and wrong options ultimately cost as they went down 16-12 in a hard-fought Vodacom Super 12 encounter at Ellis Park on Friday night. The Cats now have a tough time ahead with the overseas leg around the corner and just one win in the bag.
Once described as a jewel in Africa, Zimbabwe’s economy has undergone a meltdown over the past five years, with the agriculture sector reeling from the seizure of white-owned farms and droughts, economists say. Since 1999, the economy has contracted by a third.
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As the election approaches, the Zimbabwean government has taken sole control of food distribution in rural areas. Observers say these elections will bring less of the outright brutality that scarred previous polls. According to accounts, the government party Zanu-PF is offering villagers a simple choice — vote for us or starve.
One of Europe’s leading referees, the Swede Anders Frisk, has been forced into early retirement in the aftermath of what Jose Mourinho said after Chelsea lost 2-1 to Barcelona at Camp Nou, when he claimed Frisk spoke to the opposition coach, Frank Rijkaard, at half-time.
Jose Mourinho is in real trouble now. On March 31, we’ll find out just how much being a bad loser is going to cost his club, Chelsea. The ultimate sanction? Expulsion from the Champions League, which would be perhaps the most remarkable disciplinary step ever taken by Uefa.